As the year winds down and the days slip softly toward winter, KSPS brought 2025 to a close with our final virtual open mic of the year — an hour of shared poems, new voices, familiar faces, and the unmistakable warmth that happens when creative people gather, even through a screen.
This last open mic reminded us why these events have become such a cherished part of our programming. In just sixty minutes, we heard poems that held joy and ache, memory and imagination, the personal and the communal. Writers explored the changing seasons, family histories, small observations made large by language, and the quiet truths that only poetry can reveal. Each reader brought their own spark, and each listener helped create a space where those sparks could catch fire.
What made this final gathering even more meaningful was who showed up — longtime members who’ve grown with us, new readers finding their footing, students sharing early work, and community members who simply love poetry. Our open mics continue to blur boundaries of geography and experience, creating a space where emerging writers and seasoned poets share the same virtual stage.
We’re grateful to everyone who made this event shine:
• to those who read bravely,
• to those who listened with intention,
• and to those who remind us every month why poetry matters.
As we close out 2025, we’re struck by how these open mics have become a consistent thread that ties our community together. They’re a reminder that poetry is not just something we write — it’s something we share, something we witness, something we build together.
Thank you for ending the year with us. We’ll be gathering again soon, and we cannot wait to hear what you’ve been writing.
Here’s to the poems behind us, and the poems ahead.
Kentucky State Poetry Society 